Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1887-03-18
MURPHYS DICTUM.
"The World IL Growing Into So
briefly

DfItty.
Francis Murphy sways his audiences
at will with his earnestness and great
good humor. And he is just rs enter
tanning and appreciable when you meet
him personally.
A Cincinnati Times star representa-
tive called on him at the Gibson House
recently. He went TO stay fifteen min
utes. and staid an hour and half.
How do you feel about your work
in Cincinnati?'
al ought to feel good, beloved, when
in my five weeks work over 10000 peo
pie have signed the pledge But, sup
posing only five per cent Of that num-
Der were genuine converts-it's more
than that-but even that, would it not
be grand thing. think So But |
have been in places where ninety per
cent of signers were true converts. o,
people should not critlcise. They ought
to jump in and help"
What are the prospects for temper
ance in this country"
"The world is growing sober, young
man. If you stop and study this ques-
! ton, you VIII see it. What is it that
has driven the whisky jug from the har-
vest field, the wine glass largely from
the home, the drinking men from trust
ed positions. the bars from our steam
boats? Yes and even from the boards
of the White House. Why a drinking
man these days stands no show in po-
sitions of trust along side of the man
of sobrety. One of our leading RAIL
roads, the other day, when paving off
its men, required each and every man
to put his name to pledge; the great
Pennsylvania Railroad system will not
employ drinking men. Not only while
they are on duty but off duty Is well.
The manager recently said to me, that
with the great responsibility resting on
him of carrying thousands of passen-
gers daily he could not trfle with that
responsibility by employing men who
drank.
"You think society is growing sober
then.
II know it. read 1t in the signs Of
the times -
But look at the gorgeousness dis
played in our saloons
My dear man, the sun sometimes
makes the most gorgeous br lllancc as
it sets; the harlot will spend her last dol
lar to adorn herself at the hour she
dies. | tell you there is an unwrtten
law of society that is inexorable. Ii
has banished liquor from strong foot
holds where it obtained formerly, and
where it will never regain It's pow
er. You can regulate prohibit large
" by heavy license -but You can pro-
hibit by law; but purify the man, make
him SO that now there is no fault in
him, and he will not need law, but will
be law unto himself | believe that
the great liquor traffic is weakening,
that its present gorgeousness is the
prelude to its decay. OF course this
can not come right away. But, as
, said before. we are sober people.
after all, compared TO the status OF
things within the recollection of many
. men. Why it used to be all ght if n
lawyer could manage to hold himself
up by chair while he pleaded case;
"A doctor could stagger from his car
riage into the sick chamber--but it is
not so now. People won't have it.
The world is growing into sobriety.
do not believe SO much in legislative
enactments and parties accomplishing
the thing that we would all like to see
and would be the better for. rs | do in
what the world is doing for itself quiet
~ but grandly and inexorably. We
are working out our own salvation in
this matter of habit and appetite.
1t was large audience that gathered
last night in old Ninth Street to hear
the son. Thos. f. Murphy. He is a ready
and forceful speaker and has much OF
the pathos and fire of h father.
II saw in newspaper the assertion
that only boys. only children. were
signing these pledges. The tone of the
article. | thought. was little sarcastic.
1t would be grand thing if it were the
boys who were signing the pledge.
Who are the drunkards of to-day? The
boys of thirty years ago. And the
. drinlors apb drunk rIs of thir,v yaare